Previews

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

Ubisoft's poor royal is back in trouble; in fact, he never really left it. We go hands-on with one of the season's hottest games.

Spiffy:

Lots more to do besides combat; combat itself is majorly improved; story sounds quite enjoyable.

Iffy:

60 fps wouldn't hurt, surely. Please?

Amazingly fluid acrobatics, serviceable action and an enjoyable storyline all helped Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time single-handedly revive what was once a dead franchise ... and I guess it was a great game, too! Ubisoft Montreal's dedicated developers have been working feverishly since that landmark release, and now, just going on a year later, the fruits of their labors are finally, err, becoming edible. With the new Prince of Persia: Warrior Within set for a November release, Ubisoft recently invited Bay Area journalists over to its scary, cubicle-free office for a solid ninety-minute playtest. What I played and saw there were highly encouraging, as it became evident that there's more to the new Prince of Persia -- perhaps even a lot more -- than Ubi has been willing to divulge thus far.

For starters, it looks as if Warrior Within's story actually has a chance of living up to that of its esteemed prequel. Despite The Sands of Time ending on a relatively upbeat note, the Prince's life since has been anything but happy. The mythical, but all-too-real, guardian of time is furious that a mere mortal has tampered with the temporal flow, and regards the Prince as a messy paradox that must be destroyed. The Prince is well aware that his time on Earth is quickly running out, and he's only got one good lead: the Empress of Time, the creator of the Sands of Time, might just be able to offer a solution. Thus, he sets out on a trouble-filled voyage to her remote island; if he survives it, his adventure will have just begun.

Clearing Misconceptions

To be frank, The Sands of Times' biggest problem was its combat, which was somewhat simplistic and often crept towards tedious. It's well-known that the development team has acknowledged this flaw, and much of the press coverage generated about Warrior Within has predominantly focused on how improved the new combat system is. And it is. However, what hasn't been getting out as much is that Warrior Within will offer a substantial helping of the fun running, jumping, climbing and puzzling gameplay that made the first game so worthwhile. If you think about it rationally for a second, then it's obvious that Ubi would retain the elements that worked so well before. But, well ... you know us video game fans, cynical and paranoid to the last.

This level challenges you to fight with a dislocated shoulder.

What's more, Warrior Within will actually offer a lot more freedom of movement within (and around) its castle. You'll be able to revisit previously explored areas to uncover missed secrets, or to use newly acquired powers to reach areas that were inaccessible before. From the sounds of it, the Prince will have fairly free run of the castle, and for a good portion of the game. Starting to sound like Castlevania, just a bit? It should, as the developers have cited IGA's games as a strong influence for the gameplay structure of Warrior Within. The game will also strike a few additional blows against the forces of linearity by letting you choose your objectives at certain points. You'll probably end up doing 'em all sooner or later, but sometimes you'll be able to decide which and when.

Outside of its endgame, it's surprising to consider that The Sands of Time featured next to no time-travel elements. Ubisoft is not missing that train again, so time portals will be another interesting aspect of Warrior Within. Apparently there'll be ten in all, which, once found, can be passed through at your leisure. The past version of the Empress' castle will be much more regal and, well, intact. In contrast, the present will be a crumbled, decaying ruin. If this past / present aspect is pulled off properly, it'll be like having two different castles to conquer. Also, some puzzles will require you to effect changes in the past to affect the present; for example (and I think I might be buthering this, my notes are unclear), diverting a waterway in the past could lead to the location of climbable plants changing in the present. Something like that. You get the idea.